West Indies face steep task

The West Indies are facing defeat going into today's fourth day of the second and final Test against Australia at Sabina Park.

This after they closed yesterday's third day on 16 for two in pursuit of a victory target of 392. They require another 276 to win with eight wickets in hand.

The West Indies were set their target after the Australians made 212 for two in their second innings. The surprise declaration came approximately 40 minutes before the close of play.

The West Indies were immediately in trouble and lost two wickets with only two runs on the board. Openers Kraigg Brathwaite and debutant Rajendra Chandrika fell three balls apart.

The first to go was Brathwaite for zero. He played casually at two balls, then drove loosely at an out-swinger from left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc, and played on to his stumps.

Darren Bravo took a single off the first ball he faced, thus giving Chandrika the strike. The 25-year-old Guyanese also fell without scoring, scooped up at gully off a Starc outswinger. Chandrika thus bagged a pair on debut.

Bravo, who made 14 in the first innings, and Shane Dowrich, one not out off 16 balls, however, played out the remaining seven overs of the day.

SUPRISING

"It was a bit surprising (the declaration), but having said that, I thought that we could have applied ourselves a little bit better. We lost two early wickets, and it has set us back a little," said West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder at the end of the day.

"But, I still think 392 is still a good total to get, and we have plenty of time to get it, we just have to apply ourselves."

Earlier, the regional side, who resumed on 143 for eight, went on to post 220 to fall 279 runs short of their target, with all-rounder Holder getting 82.

He stroked eight sweetly timed fours and two sixes for his second-highest score in eight Tests.

Impressive seamer Josh Hazlewood, who began the day with three wickets, went on to claim five for 48, his second five-wicket haul in his first Test.

SCOREBOARD

AUSTRALIA 1st innings

399 all out

WEST INDIES 1st Innings

220 all out (143-8 overnight)

J. Holder not out 82

V. Permaul c wkp Haddin b Johnson 0

K. Roach c +Haddin b Hazlewood 7

J. Taylor lbw b Hazlewood 0

Extras (b6, lb2, w1, nb1, pen5) 15

Total ( all out, 59.5 overs) 220

Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Chandrika), 2-9 (Brathwaite), 3-25 (Bravo), 4-44 (Dowrich), 5-77 (Hope), 6-119 (Ramdin), 7-142 (Blackwood), 8-143 (Permaul), 9-220 (Roach), 10-220 (Taylor)

Bowling: Starc 14-2-50-1 (w1), Hazlewood 15.5-8-38-5, Lyon 14-4-55-3, Johnson 14-2-54-1 (nb1), Watson 2-0-10-0.

AUSTRALIA SECOND INNINGS

212-2 dec.

S. Marsh c Holder b Permaul 69

D. Warner c +Ramdin b Roach 62

S. Smith not out 54

M. Clarke* not out 14

Extras: (b 9, lb 4) 13

Total (2 wickets dec) 212

Did not bat: AC Voges, SR Watson, BJ Haddin+, MG Johnson, MA Starc, NM Lyon, JR Hazlewood

Fall of wickets: 1-117 (Warner), 2-163 (Marsh)

Bowling: Taylor 10-2-24-0,Roach 9-2-26-1, Permaul 21-3-83-1, Holder 10-2-24-0, Brathwaite 11-3-23-0, Blackwood 4-1-19-0

WEST INDIES SECOND INNINGS

K. Brathwaite b Starc 0

R. Chandrika c Marsh b Starc 0

D. Bravo not out 8

S. Dowrich not out 1

Extras (b 4, lb 2, w 1) 7

Total (2 wickets) 16

Bowling: Starc: 3-2-1-2, Hazlewood 1-1-0-0, Lyon 3-2-6-0, Johnson 1-0-3-0

Position: West Indies require another 376 to win.

Toss: West Indies.

Umpires: I Gould, R Kettleborough; TV - Aleem Dar.